Exiled Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev uses his Cannes Film Festival podium moment to urge an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. At the 79th Cannes Film Festival, he accepts the Grand Prix for his film “Minotaur” (“Minotaur”), delivering his remarks from the stage in Russian. According to multiple outlets, Zvyagintsev directly addresses Vladimir Putin, calling for the “butchery” or “carnage” to stop and saying that people on both sides of the front want the massacres to end.
Both reports frame the speech as a personal plea timed with the film’s themes. “Minotaur” is described as set in Russia in 2022 and follows Gleb, a successful company director, as events unfold around him. While the articles focus on the remarks made during the acceptance speech, they also establish that the director is currently exiled and that the comments are made during a high-profile international setting at Cannes.
